The death of Osama bin Laden does not mark the end of the terrorism threat to
Britain and an attack could happen at any time, the head of the Metropolitan
Police has warned.

Sir Paul Stephenson said the threat of a terrorist attack remains “severe” and added: “To be blunt it means that an attack is highly likely and could occur without warning at any time.”

“As Government, the police and the security service assess the impact and consequences of the death of Osama bin Laden, it is clear that there can be no let up in our vigilance,” the Scotland Yard Commissioner said in a speech at the Policy Exchange think-tank in central London.

He said that al-Qaeda was responsible for the injury and death of thousands of people worldwide and was committed to the use of terror and murder to achieve their aims.

“One man's death does not mark the end of an ideology and we must remain alert to the continuing threat from al-Qaeda, its affiliates and those acting alone,” he added, drawing attention to the additional threats from “lone wolf” operators and al-Qaeda franchises outside Pakistan.

“The police and security services will continue to work locally, nationally and with our international partners to do everything possible to counter the terrorist threat but we cannot do this alone, we need the help of the public to protect the country from the threat of terrorism,” Sir Paul told the audience.

He called on all communities across the country to play a role as they go about their daily business.

“Vigilance should be our watchword,” the Commissioner added. “My message is a simple one, public awareness can provide an essential edge. Members of the public should trust their instincts and engage with us, reporting any suspicious behaviour which may be terrorist-related.”

The head of Scotland Yard, who was delivering the John Creaney lecture in memory of the Northern Ireland terrorism prosecutor, took the opportunity to defend counter-terrorism policing.

He said the formation of the current network – which involves local counter-terrorism officers in each force feeding intelligence into four regional hubs – had taken “considerable time, effort and frankly sweat to develop.... we should be careful only to dismantle it with good cause.”

Defending the structure against proposals for counter-terrorism policing to be part of the new National Crime Agency, he said it had “seen real success” in the fight against terrorism because officers had local knowledge, understand their communities and provide a “two way flow of intelligence and information.”

Officers on foot patrol, traffic officer dealing with speeding, and detectives search of a suspects’ houses are all linked to their regional counter terrorism hubs, by a “golden thread” he added.

Other officers engagement with Muslim communities and support those vulnerable to radicalisation. Defending the current arrangements was not a matter of self-interest, he added, saying that would be “deeply unattractive.”

“We are better than that,” the Commissioner said. “National Security is simply too important to be determined by such shallow motives, just as the protection of our citizens must be based on more than mere structural convenience.”

The danger of introducing added complexity was laid out in the 9/11 Commission Report which criticised a number of agencies’ inability to “connect the dots' and prevent the attacks.

“It is critically important that we avoid any unnecessary distractions as we both prepare for the Olympics and maintain our current level of operational activity,” Sir Paul said.

The Commissioner also expressed his “deep regret” that the actions of a Metropolitan police officer were found to have caused the death of Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests, in an inquest verdict on Tuesday.

He said there had been a “change in the mood of protests” with the re-emergence of violent elements during the more recent TUC protest that saw attacks on the Ritz Hotel, Oxford Street and Trafalgar Square.

“Suggestions that the answer lies solely in better intelligence is frankly naïve...this counsel of perfection must not lead us into an inappropriate shifting of the balance between security and liberty.”

But he also said he was “rightly proud” of the policing around the Royal Wedding which had avoided any trouble and paid tribute to Assistant Commissioner Lynne Owens, who led this operation.

Sir Paul also defended the operational independence of the police against political interference from newly elected police commissioners, saying chief police officers must remain free to speak publicly and adding: “Put simply the decision of how to do it, who to target, where, when to act, what officers to use and how many, are decisions for me and my officers, and then for me to be held to account by the governance structures for the outcomes I achieve.“

The Commissioner said he was also frustrated buy the terms “frontline, front office, middle office and so on” adding: “We must not be seduced by an argument that says everything in uniform, or fits some definition of front-line, is both good and invaluable, and whilst everyone else is an efficiency saving waiting to be realised.”